Illusion
by UnicornPhoenix
Summary: One-shot about Wendy's friends in Caitshelter.


**Illusion**

I was self-aware. 

Even that day, when Wendy first entered the village so many years ago, and I felt myself fade into existence, I had known that one day I would have to fade back out. I knew that I was not real, but I was not meant to. 

The Master was startled when I confronted him about it, but I felt he did need to know. I let him know that I did not approve of it, of deceiving a young girl in the way he was. But still, he did not relent, and insisted it was for the best. 

So, I got close to her. I felt it was best, considering she was why I was here. Wendy was our sole reason for existence. Without her, the other members of Caitshelter would not be in this world, though I'm not sure if we could be considered part of this world to begin with. 

When the call came out to destroy the Oracion Seis, I could feel it. The call of the other side. The Master had given us life, in a way, but we were not real. All things of deception must fade at some point, and we were no exception to that rule. 

When Wendy begged for the Master to let her go and help find the dark guild, I felt a pang in my chest. This is the end. I knew that this would lead to my destruction, but I did not care. After all, it would also lead to Wendy living amongst the living and not being surrounded by fakes for the rest of her life. I had her best interests at heart. After all, she was my sole purpose. My lifeline. My reason. 

When Wendy hugged me goodbye, I begged Carla to go with her. "Follow her to the ends of the earth," I said, "And never look back. She needs a friend on this journey, and I don't trust myself to be that person. Keep her safe." She agreed, naturally. While she was real, I do believe that she saw Wendy as her sole purpose as well. 

The pain grew and grew. Wendy was why we were here. Without her in the village, there was nobody alive. Nobody to guide us. I felt the pull to the other side. Still, I waited, unwavering. This is for Wendy, I thought, She needs to live among the living, not the dead. 

But my strong will could not keep the tears away. It had been seven years of living in this half world, not alive but not dead, not real but not gone. Wendy had been a constant, but she wasn't here anymore. She was gone, and so was my purpose. 

The Master kept up his act, even with her absence. I could tell the others were confused. I was the only self-aware here, but they could still feel the pull. They knew in their hearts they were not real, but they did not understand it because they were not meant to. 

We were all illusions, made to keep a single girl happy for life. And we did our job well. I could almost forget about my unrealistic existence when I was with her. She was my everything, and everyone agreed. They may not have known about our situation, but they could feel the pull to Wendy. She was our reason, and they all knew it, though not on the same level that I did. 

News of Nirvana came. I could feel a new pull, and it was to the Master. I was wrong. We did not have one sole purpose. Because we were extensions of him, we shared his reason, and his reason was not Wendy. His reason was Nirvana. 

To protect Nirvana, that was his purpose. Not to protect Wendy. I realize this now, but I did not then. I raged at them all, "Who cares about the destruction?" I screamed, "Wendy is our reason! Wendy is why we're here! Why would you care about us being targeted when-" My throat cut off, and the pull to the other side became stronger, stronger, stronger. Someone was pulling at it now. The Master was trying to eradicate me. 

Still I held on. Wendy doesn't know yet, I yelled in my head, I can't abandon her! I refused to leave, and pulled back, feeling the line snap. 

The pull started again, but not as strong. I stormed to my cottage. There was no reason to stay conscious when Wendy was not here. I slept. Sleeping was strange; I was not real, so I did not need things that humans did to survive. Sleep was a matter of powering off, not charging up. 

I awoke again when Wendy returned. I ran out of the cottage, hugging her and laughing while pretending the pull was not stronger than ever. It tugged me to the other side, but I was not ready yet. I cannot leave her with no explanation. 

I examined her new friends with intense scrutiny. One had pink spiky hair, and a fiery temper. He seemed nice, and Wendy respected him. I soon recognized him as the Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu Dragneel. He was why she wanted to go. I supposed he was nice enough. 

Another was named Gray Fullbuster, and had a bad habit of stripping. He had dark blue eyes and hair. He was cool and calm headed, but his stripping habit was worrying… If he did anything to her, I'd come right back from the other side and smack him. 

There was a blonde, who I approved of more than the other two. She was calmer than the others, and had no strange habits to speak of. Her name was Lucy Heartfilia. 

The redhead seemed kind enough, though a bit lost in her own world. She had suffered a loss, and I could tell. But she was kind to Wendy, and that's all that mattered. Erza Scarlet. 

Oh, and the cat. He was smitten with Carla, and that was so obvious it hurts to think about. Happy, I think his name was. 

The remaining seemed kind enough, except for that troll, Ichiya. He was… strange… to say the least. 

Overall, I approved. They seemed like a worthy bunch to take Wendy and introduce her to the real world, and not this illusion she had been trapped in. 

I ripped my eyes away from the humans she had affiliated herself with and laughed at her commentary. She was telling the story of how they defeated the Oracion Seis. It was touching, how happy she was with these people. I waved goodbye and went to change for the party we were supposedly having. 

Later, when the Master was telling her of the illusions, I noticed the others being gifted with the knowledge I'd always had. Her tears fell, and I ached. She had never deserved this fate. Never. 

Everybody began to fade, but I held on. I would say goodbye. No matter what, that mattered most. 

I watched as the red-haired woman hugged her, just after the Master disappeared. I was the only one left. The pull was there, and it was strong. I was slipping away. A tear fell, only to fade. 

"Wendy," I called out, and she gasped, pulling away from Erza to look at me, "The Master is right." 

She sobbed, and protested, jumping up at me only to pass through. I stared down at my hand, "I'm disappearing," I took ahold of her shoulders, and somehow kept a grip on them, "But look behind you. You have new friends, and they won't. I will wither away, but don't let your life go down with me." 

My hands passed through her, and I stood, beginning to disintegrate into nothing. She stared, wide eyed, at my disappearing form, "No! No, Safiya! Come back!" 

I gave a sad smile, "I will not return, but do not fret. You have your whole life ahead of you. Don't waste it." I turned to the staring group of humans before me, "Take care of her. Take care of my best friend." 

Natsu Dragneel nodded, giving me a thumbs up, "You bet we will!" and the others chorused their agreement. 

I nodded back, "Then my work here is done. I have lead Wendy to the real world waiting for her." I finally disappeared completely, "Goodbye, Wendy." 

And I left. 

I disappeared into nothing. 

Because that's what I was.

An illusion.


End file.
